Stargazing, Lodging, & astronomy Resources

If you are visiting Westcliffe, Silver Cliff, or the surrounding Wet Mountain Valley area and looking for lodging options, be sure to check out Visit Wet Mountain Valley Lodging. You can view this excellent area visitors guidebook for more comprehensive information on where to eat, shop, and other activities available during your visit.

Local Lodging Run By Dark Skies Members

Red A Chalet: Colorado’s Top Rated Off-Grid A-Frame situated at 8,400’ in rural Custer County for the ultimate dark skies viewing opportunities!
Dark Skies Vacations: Dark Skies Vacations helps travelers experience amazing views from comfortable vacation homes throughout Custer County.

Are you in search of local stargazing opportunities in one of the world’s highest altitude Dark Skies Community?

The most convenient location to Westcliffe and Silver Cliff is The Bluff park, located at the end of Main St in Westcliffe, facing the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Bring a blanket to lay on and simply stare into the amazing night sky! Other excellent places to stargaze are any of the trailhead locations in the Sange de Cristo mountains, about a 20-30 minute drive from Westcliffe. Alvarado and Hermit trailheads are two excellent locations to experience. For a complete listing of all trailheads near Westcliffe/Silver Cliff you can download this excellent area trail map.

Thinking of forming a new Dark Skies advocacy group and/or starting the IDA Places "Community" certification process?

Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley member Ed Stewart wrote an excellent resource article: “Suggestions for Establishing a Local Dark Sky Group to Ultimately Earn Certification as an IDA Dark Sky Community.” And to pay for it: Creating a Strategic Donation Plan

Dark Skies’ 20-Year History: Pathway to Dark Sky Community Certification, 1999–2015 and Beyond (flip book link) (.pdf download)

DarkSky Resources:
<Public Outreach Resources> <Light Pollution>
<Lighting Solutions> <Resources> <Lighting Vendors>
<Ways to Give> <Westcliffe/Silver Cliff”s IDA Community Page>

Facebook page for the IDA Colorado state chapter. "Like" the page, and you can post on their wall.

Custer County Tourism’s Dark Skies Page, Smokey Jack Observatory Page, SKYGLOW time-lapse video

Colorado Stargazing Road Trip 2020

Excellent Pages of Light Pollution Definitions, Descriptions, and Resource Links:
Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative’s Resource links,
especially: Dark Skies - Guidance and Best Practices — 2020
     Global 2006 Light Pollution Map — Color Overlays on Zoomable Map
 2006 Light Pollution Atlas — Download Hi-Rez Images by Continent
The New World Atlas of Artificial Sky Brightness, 2016 — Interactive map
Full Earth image of light pollution
Very complete description and many resource links
Good description and large set of related links
LED Lighting Supply (vendor of dark sky fixtures)
Reducing Light Pollution with Lighting Designs
             (click Lighting Designs in menu strip)
Foot Candle Guide and Detailed Description
General light pollution description
Weighing the Costs of LED Street Lights Article
LED Lighting Design Considerations for Smart Cities Article
Health Effects of Light Pollution (many links provided)
Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative — Toolbox

Colorado Advocates for Smarter Lighting (C.A.S.L.)

Wikipedia Light Pollution Description and Definition of Terms

Sky Quality Monitoring Program and Bortle Scale Descriptions

PDF brochure: Consumer's Guide to Dark Sky Friendly Lighting

Tutorial Videos on basic astronomy and how to conduct a star party:
Astronomy video series on YouTube: Crash Course Astronomy

Ultimate Resource Guide for Astronomy

How to Conduct an Entertaining and Educational Star Party

A lecture, All About Telescopes, given on April 27, 2018 in Westcliffe, CO on the telescope: its history, considerations in selecting one, and the pros/cons of the commonly available commercially produced refactors, reflectors, and SCTs.

If you would like to see some of the media coverage regarding our continued work or regarding our IDA Dark Sky Community Certification you can visit our press page for in-depth articles and videos.